Stamp envelope



Patented Feb. 15, 1944 V STAMP ENVELOPE William Locke, Needhan Mass; assignor to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 25, 1942, Serial No. 466,870

1 Claim.

This invention relates to stamp envelopes and has for its objects the provision of an envelope which will carry two kinds of stamps in segregated relationship, which is simple and economical in construction, which prevents the stamps of one kind from sticking to those of the other kind, which protects the stamps throughout their entire areas including their edges and which permits quick and easy removal of either kind of stamp independently of the other.

According to the present invention the envelope comprises a front, an end flap and inner and outer rear flaps, the flaps preferably being formed integrally with the front from a single piece of sheet material such as paper, Cellophane or Celluloid. In forming the envelope the end flap is first folded over, the irmer rear flap is then folded over the end flap and the outer rear flap is then folded over the inner flap. The outer flap is cemented to the inner flap only along the zone adjacent to the edge of the outer flap and it has a slit adjacent to the cemented zone to provide a transverse stamp pocket at the rear of the packet. The end of the envelope opposite to the aforesaid end flap is left open to provide a longitudinal stamp pocket, although the front may, if desired, have another end flap to cover this open end. While the packet may have any proportion desired, preferably its width is slightly greater than the vertical dimension of ordinary postage stamps so that stamps inserted in the transverse pocket do not project beyond the edge of the packet, and its length is slightly greater than the length of the label commonly employed to mark letters for the air mail so that the labels do not project from the end.

T e aforesaid slit preferably has a curved portion near the middle, or a portion of some other shape, offset toward the bottom of the transverse pooket to facilitate removal of the stamps. The front is also preferably cut away adjacent to the open end of the longitudinal pocket to facilitate removal of stamps from the longitudinal pocket. Preferably the end flap is merely folded over the stamps in the longitudinal pocket under the inner flap without being cemented to either rear flap. Preferably the outer flap extends almost across the packet so that the slit adjacent its gummed end is off center in the direction to provide a deeper transverse pocket, and the inner flap extends throughout approximately the entire width of the packet so as to separate the stamps in the longitudinal pocket from those in the transverse pocket throughout substantially the entire width of the packet.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a plan of the blank employed to make the envelope;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of the envelope;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the front of the envelope;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a front I provided with a finger opening 2, an end flap 3 and inner and outer rear flaps 4 and 5, the outer flap having a slit 6 to provide the mouth of the aforesaid transverse pocket. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the slit 6 has a curved portion I which is ofiset toward the junction between the flap and the front I. The outer flap 5 is coated with adhesive along the zone 8 so as to adhere to the inner flap 4 when the two are folded together in superposed relationship. The junctions between the front I and the flaps 3, 4 and 5 may be defined by score lines 9, I0 and II to facilitate folding the blank.

In Fig. 4 the air mail labels or other elongate stickers are shown at I2 in the longitudinal pocket and ordinary postage stamps are shown at I3 in the transverse pocket, the lower ends of the stamps seating in the bottom of the pocket and the upper ends projecting through the slit 6.

The preferred method of manufacturing the packet consists in placing the elongate labels 'over the portion I of the blank (Fig. 1), then folding the end flap 3 over the ends of the labels, then folding the rear fiap 4 over the labels and the end flap, then folding the outer flap 5 over the inner flap 4, and finally cementing the two flaps together along the zone 8. The stamps I3 may then be slipped into the transverse pocket at that time by the manufacturer or later by the user.

From the foregoing it is evident that while the envelope is extremely simple and economical in construction, it completely separates the two kinds of stamps from each other so that they do not stick together, and even though the stamps project from the transverse pocket they do not project beyond the edge of the packet and therefore are not subjected to much danger of injury in handling the packet. By virtue of the curved portion 1 of the slit 6 a larger area of stamp is exposed for frictional engagement with the thumb or finger in removing the stamp from the pocket. By virtue of the cut-out portion 2 in the front of the envelope the foremost label may be slipped out of the packet by frictional engagement with its face.

It should be understood that the present dis closure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Iclaim:

A stamp envelope comprising a front, an end flap and inner and outer rear flaps, the outer flap being cemented to the inner flap along a zone adjacent to the edge of theflou'ter flap ;a' n'd having a slit adjacent to sa'idzone to provide a.

transverse stamp pocket at the rear of the packet, said end flap being folded into one end of the envelope and the other end being open to provide a longitudinal stamp pocket, said inner flap extending throughout approximately the entire width of the packet to separate the stamps in each pocket from thoseni n the other pocket and saidendflap being/folded undersaid inner flap, said slit having a portion oifset toward 10 the bottom of the transverse pocket to facilitate removal of the stamps and said front being cutaway adjacent the open end of the pocket tuuinai pock'et.

WILLIAM .G. LOCKE. 

